Changing the oil on a chevrolet silverado truck? Great tips and tricks here in this how-to guide. - Dont forget to grease all your fittings on suspension,steering, and drivetrain.

Dont forget to grease all your fittings on suspension,steering, and drivetrain.

If your band-type oil filter wrench slips on that greasy old oil filter, making it hard to get off, take a strip of cloth-backed sandpaper and gorillaglue it to the inside of the wrench band. That will give you a non-slip grip on that filter and it will come right off.

^^^ That's some good advice right there!
I've always done the old "screwdriver through the filter" trick, but I like this idea. I will have to set up my wrench that way.

I always used a rag... Since then i have learned to not put it on so tight, doesnt need to be. Seen the ole man years ago get one stuck on there. I was young, dont remember him having/using oil wrench. He poked a screwdriver thru it with a few hammer taps and twisted it off with that.

I plan on changing the oil on my '05 Sierra V6 this week. One thing I noticed in this thread was the initial "gusher" of oil from the drain plug. Would it be practical to keep the oil cap and dipstick on when you release the drain plug, preventing the gusher, then slowly unscrewing the cap and pulling the dipstick after? Just a thought. I just might try it anyhow and post the results later.
Also, if it is best to change the oil at operating temp, what kind of protection from burning oil (besides common sense, which I'll have to find) would I need? I have some "walmart special" mechanics gloves...that's about it though.

Thanks for the info

The cap and dipstick do not create enough pressure (vacuum) to matter. Good thought, though.
As far as temp...yes, just common sense. Gloves help, but just avoid having your hand in the stream.

i decided today was the day i was gonna change the oil on my truck for the first time. i wanted to go back with synthetic as i had before my dealer decided to change it without me knowing to conventional.

man you guys had me so nervous about that oil filter on my 5.3. as soon as i crawled under my truck i noticed the ever so slightest small dot of oil hanging down off the filter. i last had it changed at the dealer he must have barely put the damn thing on because it took 0 work to get it off. when i put it back up i was kinda nervous about how much force to put on it its not tight tight but its def tighter than it was. i never noticed any oil spots or anything so i dont thing the filter was leaking too much. so how much is enough on that oil filter? just enough to not see any seapage?

i also decided to go back with a magnetic drain plug. i always tend to do that with everything i own with a motor. Decided to go with mobil 1 EP it was on sale at wally world.

This is why you should do this vs. the dealer. Ya never know what you get from someone else!

As far as tightening, go as tight as you can by hand. I give it a pretty good crank with about as much force as I can. Never use a wrench to tighten it.
I recall the book saying to go a 1/4 to a 1/2 turn beyond the point that the filter gasket makes contact with the engine.

Motivated by this thread.
...the oil filter was a real b*tch to get off. The dealer really had that bad boy torked down, had to resort to the "stabby" screwdriver trick.

I had one so tight once, the oil wrench crushed it as I pulled so hard to take it off. Last time I ever let them dealer touch my oil...